The Gantry Group Building Business Through Research

Gantry Group Newsletter Issue No. 9, January 2002

Enterprises are increasingly returning to their Website as the primary vehicle for managing customer contact across the ever expanding Internet-enabled device family. In turn, customers are relying on websites for product and account information, problem resolution, updates and support, and sales transactions. Therefore, ensuring that information and capabilities on a company's site are easily accessible is the first line of defense to ensure to high customer satisfaction and a successful CRM strategy.

Interestingly, while the emergence of the Web has created new customer expectations for multi-channel interaction, more traditional forms of communication are not being retired. What is new is the degree of consistency and integration now expected across communication channels, old and new.

This represents a critical challenge: not only must a Website be easy to use, access and navigate, it must also be integrated with all other customer touch points within an organization. The Website - no matter its main purpose - must be aligned across businesses so that the customer hears "one voice". Each customer touch point must be considered in the context of all others. This means that even a usability-tested Website, considered in isolation of other communications channels, will ultimately not support customers as they access other non-Web channels.
 
 

The Customer is ALWAYS Right!

"On the Internet, it's survival of the easiest... Give users a good experience and they're apt to turn into frequent and loyal customers. But the Web also offers low switching costs; it's easy to turn to another supplier in the face of even a minor hiccup. Only if a site is extremely easy to use will anybody bother staying around."

Jakob Nielsen, InformationWeek Online 1/2000

Customers have set the satisfaction bar high, whether the "customer" is a consumer or a business. And the price of not satisfying the customer has never been higher, making website usability a high stakes game. Usability on the Web isn't a luxury - it's mandatory. Your customer is yours to lose!

Today, customers have come to expect Websites to provide them with:

• Rapid Problem Resolution
• Access to Financial/Accounting Information
• Seamless Partner/Supplier Information-sharing
• Improved Quality of Customer Experience Management
• Complete Decision-Making Information and Guided Processes
• Inventory Visibility and Availability
• Accurate, Timely Quotes
• Cross-Touch Point Consistency
• Collaborative Design and Communication
• Proactive Order & Incident Management

The explosion of Internet enabled devices -- while productivity-boosting in theory -- has further exasperated the online experience for most customers, as well as the companies who are trying to ensure a positive experience. Not only must each customer touch point be approachable and efficient, it must be completely consistent with all other touch points. Unfortunately, inconsistency reigns across touch points today, with customers grappling with different user interfaces, business processes, content and even different promotional offers depending on the point of contact with the company.

Implementing a comprehensive, methodical course of usability testing with actual prospects and customers can provide vital insight into just how many "voices" your customers "hear" when communicating with your company. Reducing this chorus to a single voice can mean the difference between success and failure in your ability to retain and service a satisfied customer base.
 
 

CRM Vs Usability: How Are They Related?

Customer Relationship Management is a key factor in determining the success of a commercial Website. But the same is true for Website usability. So which is more important? Neither: both are required. In fact, a dilemma of eCRM is that most such initiatives are not usability tested, contributing to the high rate of CRM project failures.

On a Website, CRM touch point components include customer service, sales, customization, personalization, one-to-one marketing, privacy and order tracking. Merely having this functionality on the site is not enough. On the other hand, a Website that has been usability tested, but does not include the functionality that customers really want, is also not sufficient. Usability and CRM functionality go hand in hand. Both are required and provide synergistic input to each other.

According to NetRaker Corporation, the top three factors that result in repeat customers are 1)content, 2)speed, and 3)ease of use. Personalization - a key objective of eCRM initiatives - falls farther down on the list. Companies that trade off any of the top three drivers of return visits in order to achieve a CRM benefit, do so at their peril and will end up with a customer experience that is the opposite of what CRM initiatives promise to deliver.

Looking at the stated benefits of CRM and usability testing, similarities abound. Interestingly, the words used to describe the benefits of CRM and usability testing are often identical: "customer reactivation", "loyalty", "retention", "conversion", "acquisition", are only a few most commonly used.

So one could say that, "usability", is in fact, part of the foundational fabric of an effective CRM solution. Unfortunately, some companies evaluating implementation of a CRM program are looking at how their package will benefit themselves, not how it will impact the usability of the site. Prompted by CRM solutions vendors, companies are introspectively examining CRM programs with focus on integrating customer databases and customer-facing staff. While this type of evaluation is of vital importance, it should not rank above addressing the basic needs of customers to access the Website.
 
 

What can Usability Testing Do for You?

While the customer experience includes offline factors such as phone interaction, print marketing and order fulfillment, the web experience is especially crucial because what happens on the website can often be the determining factor as to whether a customer is able to complete their objective or never return. As such, Websites are becoming critical to a company's overall business success, suggesting that investment in usability testing is a means to generating the desired return: repeat sales from loyal, satisfied customers.

According to Jakob Nielsen, a "Usability Tested" site improves the rate at which people accomplish specific tasks on average by 69%. And according to a Nielsen Norman study last year 30% of all attempts to purchase products online fail due to poor Website usability.

Website testing can be conducted online using new usability testing technologies, alleviating the need for "in-person" testing and the associated time-consuming, labor-intensive coordination and logistical difficulties that it can require.

Online website testing can be conducted in several different frameworks:

• A qualitative "interview" framework that allows you to gain qualitative insight on a one-on-one, open exchange basis with each test participant.

 
• A quantitative "survey" framework that allows you to gain quantitative insight on top website use cases across a broad test population.

 
• An ROI framework that allows you to measure the positive effects of your infrastructure on customer productivity and satisfaction, employee/cost center productivity, problem resolution success, and sales transaction rate.

Online usability testing provides you with a holistic view of visitor behavior. Through such testing you can measure and evaluate the complete online experience -- identifying where and why customers have a poor online experience so you can resolve problems and respond to customer needs.
 
 

Online Usability Testing Advantages

Traditional usability tests involve a moderator sitting down with a participant who (hopefully) represents the site's ultimate target. The moderator observes the participant as they use the Website and attempt to complete a set of pre-defined tasks. The participant provides vocal feedback, by "thinking aloud" and telling the moderator and any other observers about likes/dislikes, frustrations, and recommendations for improvement. This information is then used to revise the Website for future releases.

Online usability testing brings many advantages over "in person" testing labs. While you may not be able to see a participant's face contort in frustration, the online set does bring many important strength points. Let's examine them.

• Rapid testing platform - Leveraging cyber connectivity, participants can readily gain access to the usability test environment from anywhere at any time with the mere requirement of an Internet connection and web browser access. This convenience factor strongly contributes to the rapid turnaround in achieving meaningful test results that will steer the modifications and future enhancements. As a result, usability testing is no longer a one-time shot - it is now practical to include usability testing within a rapid prototyping, iterative design/development methodology. Companies can repeatedly test new website areas, capabilities and improvements during prototyping, pilot testing and post site launch. The bottom line: less time to actionable results.

 
• It's affordable - Let's face it. The cost of securing custom test labs, travel expense, etc., has made traditional usability testing appear to be unattainable - a luxury that cannot be afforded by most companies. This is simply no longer the case. Online testing has completely revamped the cost structure.

 
• Statistically valid, unbiased results - Traditional "in person" usability lab tests are typically conducted with 5-10 participants. Unfortunately, business and design decisions derived from such small participant samples run the high risk of being misleading and flawed. Adding to the problem is that the participants are often recruited from one particular geographic area to minimize testing costs, introducing possible bias into the test results as well. The Internet is the supporting infrastructure for online usability testing, making worldwide recruitment of statistically significant participant sample feasible.

 
• Accommodates customers' time constraints - Online usability test participants can choose to participate in the test any time, anywhere, in a completely non-intrusive, anonymous testing environment.

 
• Automatic Real-time Experience Transcription & Results - Using online usability testing technology, participant results are automatically captured and statistically tabulated. In addition, each participant's test experience can be recorded for later playback and review.

Designing a website usability test is similar in process to that of a focus group or survey. The difference is that in addition to designing a set of questions that probes the participant's experience at the site, the participant is asked to complete between 10 - 20 tasks - or "use case scenarios" that represent typical, highly frequent interactions with the site. The objective of usability testing is to understand the underlying obstacles posed by the site that will bring the most dramatic user experience improvements when removed.

• Prioritizing Website Needs - It's absolutely essential to evaluate the needs of the site's targeted visitors. This can be accomplished by examining site goals, and - for established sites -- evaluating current site metrics such as repeat visitor data, online sales transaction rate, customer satisfaction indicators, call center load versus self help problem resolution success rate. Such data uncovers the site's hot spots which will drive the creation of the use case scenarios.

 
• Determining the Sample - Who do you want to hear from? A Participant profile must be detailed for each usability test. For example, in the case of a business customer, the Participant must be defined in terms of industry, company size, job role group, geography and other qualifying attributes that are important to you.

 
• Creating the Use Case Scenarios - Using online usability testing technology, specific tasks are described for the participant to perform within a live site setting. In a quantitative, unmoderated setting, each use scenario is accompanied by a set of survey questions to further capture the participant's experience. In a qualitative, moderated setting, the participant is led by the moderator through the test by via a controlled web session, augmented by phone voice conferencing.

 
• Finding the Participants - Applying the Participant profile, candidates can be found through opt-in panels, opt-in email/phone lists or your customer or prospect list.

 
• Recruiting the Participants - Candidates are invited to participate in the usability test through a number of venues including email invitation, phone, at a conference, or while attending an association meeting for example.

 
• Encouraging Participation - Participation can be encouraged in a number of ways. But what is most important is that the Participant knows that you value both their time and feedback. The type of incentive varies according to the specific usability test. For example, explaining to a customer that their input will directly shape the direction of the next website upgrade or customer service response may prove to be motivation enough. Incentives can take many different forms depending upon the participating audience. A small charitable contribution, a free research report or free monthly subscription to online premium content can be highly motivating.

 
• Scheduling the Online Test - In the case of an unmoderated test, no scheduling is required. In the case of a moderated one-on-one test, scheduling the participant is as easy as locking in a conference call. It’s at the participant’s discretion where s/he wishes to take the test... at work, at home, on the road.

 
• Entering the Virtual Usability Lab - Prospective participants are emailed an invitation to participate in the study, containing a link to directly access the usability test. The usability test is hosted on a robust, scaleable, high-speed server.

 
• Communicating during the Test Session - By connecting through the Internet (or via intranets and extranets) for moderated usability tests, the moderator can view the participant’s desktop and communicate in real time through a number of options:

   

  • Screen sharing - Empowers the moderator to remotely view the user's computer and share mouse and keyboard control
  • Chat link - Enables the researcher and user to immediately connect and chat in real time
  • Whiteboard - Allows both the participant and the moderator to draw and highlight on each other's screens.
  • Voice - Augments the online communication with traditional voice conferencing

 
• Recording the Experience - As the participant performs the use cases and answers the supporting survey questions, the click stream and survey data is automatically recorded and captured within the usability test repository on the server. This data repository can be later queried for statistical analysis or accessed for individual session playback. The underlying technology is a Web-based remote-research application that enables companies to observe and interact with their customers, partners and/or employees by empowering the researcher to remotely view and record their users' computers. It provides real-time chat, screen sharing, and other capabilities to probe interesting issues and conduct real-time testing with users, in their natural setting, for increased statistical validity.

 
• Evaluating the Experience - Applying the usability test results toward informed business decisions and site improvements is the critical final step. This analysis must take into account the demographic variations of the Participants, as well as a deep understanding of your business to arrive at a practical interpretation of the findings.

Conducted on a regular basis, sales win/loss market research can support the sales staff by enabling them to quickly correct selling strategies to reduce lost sales opportunities. To ensure the sales staff is on-board, most firms do not request that the sales participant reveal his or her identity. Used in the aggregate, companies can discover the match between what customers want versus what they are being sold, as well as educate the sales team to craft a sales pitch that more accurately matches customer needs and preferences.
 
 

When Should I Test?

You can use website usability testing in a number of situations from the early stages of site development to evaluation testing subsequent to launch.

• We built it... but they didn’t come - As we all now know, just because you launch a site doesn’t mean customers are going to come to it, transact at the site, or come back. Usability testing is an effective vehicle for diagnosing where and how the site missed the mark.

 
• We want to get it right the first time - Usability testing is extremely valuable and effective when introduced at the site prototyping phase. The site’s user interface can be evaluated and further needs regarding underlying site capabilities can be learned before you incur expensive site development costs.

 
• Visitors come, they browse, but they don’t buy - Fine-tuning a site’s transaction process for the target audience is perhaps the most important initiative a company should invest in. Gartner Group believes that 20% of 2001 holiday shoppers will fail to complete online purchases due to defects in usability. Usability testing is the best way to optimize the browse-to-buy conversion rate. Potential buyers will turn into never-to-return browsers if the impediments to transacting are too great.

 
• We have online self-help, but our customers keep calling - Many companies have invested heavily in building seemingly comprehensive online self-help capabilities in hopes of reducing expensive call center overhead. However, if your customers and prospects can’t easily find the information they are looking for or answers to resolve their problems, they give up and resort to traditional phone tactics. Usability testing can pinpoint your customer/prospect/partner’s unmet needs and nagging obstacles that render your self-help site as ineffective.

 
• We want to expand and improve our site - what new features do we add and in what order? - Usability testing is a great method for articulating and prioritizing your customers’ top needs. Most companies are never short of ideas and opportunities. Usability testing provides the factual foundation for sorting out that huge, unapproachable laundry list of online initiatives.

 
• Our customers say our site is unfriendly - but why? - Most companies know when their customers are unhappy. The flaming email complaints roll in. Or worse, they become silent. Knowing the problem area and what is not working is one level of diagnosis. Knowing what will be effective online to cure the problem is another. Usability testing is the best way to ensure that the site fix is a permanent cure and not a temporary band-aid.

 
• Our online customer base seems to be eroding - The final frontier of online customer loyalty is usability. The Internet has significantly lowered customer resistance to vendor switching - in fact it’s never been easier to switch allegiances. Ease of use and an efficient, productive online experience is what keep customers coming back. If you are noticing a drop off in your online customer base, some of your customers might have already made that vendor switch. Online usability testing is an excellent offensive tool to maintain online competitiveness and leadership.

Many software companies offer back-office Internet enabling technology and online services that are “transparent” to the user but that nevertheless, have a major impact on the user’s experience and hence, to the usability of the Website that has implemented the technology. However, high-ticket technology vendors are having a tough time making the sale in our new “downturned” economy without a clear supportable ROI or credible Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) analysis.

You may be surprised to learn that online usability testing can be used to obtain quantitative metrics that demonstrate intangibles like productivity improvements, ROI and product efficacy. Side-by-side usability studies can be constructed to compare before and after results of sites with and without the enabling software technology. Statistical analysis will reveal quantitative improvements in business process costs, customer satisfaction, problem resolution, etc.

By way of an example, imagine a next generation search engine technology that substantially decreases the time required to find information in large content repositories. Companies with online self-help sites and call centers are one of the sales targets for this technology. A usability test can be created to measure the before and after effects on enterprise support organizations, including problem resolution success rate, average length of time to resolve problem, number of clicks to resolve problem, call center call rate reduction, and overall customer satisfaction. Comparisons of these metrics with and without the technology can be used to clearly demonstrate quantitative improvements if they exist.

Why is usability testing suddenly expanded in its applicability? As usual, the Internet, with its particular ability to collect data in real-time from individual users, is responsible. While a traditional usability test might be able to provide general trends, only a statistically representative sample can be used to project quantitative findings across a target market in a meaningful way. Online usability testing is designed for exactly this type of analysis, providing solid numeric metrics that reflect the results of hundreds or thousands of users not just 8 or 10 individuals.

The Internet has opened up the applicability of usability testing beyond qualitative user feedback, providing vital statistics that can unequivocally reveal the effectiveness of an Internet technology.
 

About Gantry Group: Founded in 1997 and headquartered in Concord, MA, we are a full-service, custom market research and advisory firm dedicated to helping companies cost-effectively accelerate the successful market adoption of their products and services - online and offline.

The Gantry Group has been helping companies design, manage and analyze quantitative and qualitative usability studies to accurately determine online user needs and site improvement plans. Using Gantry Group’s proven technologies and methodologies, our clients quickly validate, prioritize and react to market needs. Contact us today to see how we can ensure your prospects’, customers’ and business partners’ online experience with your firm.
 

The Gantry Group, LLC 30 Monument Square, Suite 135  Concord MA 01742

Phone: 978-371-7557 Fax:  978-287-0043 Email: info@gantrygroup.com Web: www.gantrygroup.com

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